The Athens city tax for hotels is officially called the Climate Crisis Resilience Fee, and every hotel in the city charges it per room per night on top of your room rate. During high season (April through October), it runs from €2 a night at a one- or two-star hotel to €15 a night at a five-star. Low season rates are a fraction of that. The fee is paid in person at check-in or checkout, not through your booking platform, so budget for it separately. Greece also adds a small percentage-based occupancy tax and 13% VAT to accommodation, meaning the true nightly cost is always a bit higher than the price you saw when booking.
High-Season Rates, April Through October
Rates rose on January 1, 2025, and no further changes have been announced for 2026. The fee is charged per room, not per guest, so a room shared by two adults and a child costs the same as a solo booking. During the peak months, Athens hotels charge:
- 1- and 2-star hotels: €2 per night
- 3-star hotels: €5 per night
- 4-star hotels: €10 per night
- 5-star hotels: €15 per night
Five nights at a four-star property adds €50 to your bill. Five nights at a five-star adds €75. Neither amount appears in most prepaid booking totals.
Low-Season Rates, November Through March
Off-season travel cuts the fee sharply:
- 1- and 2-star hotels: €0.50 per night
- 3-star hotels: €1.50 per night
- 4-star hotels: €3 per night
- 5-star hotels: €4 per night
A week in a four-star hotel costs €21 in resilience fees during low season, compared with €70 in high season.
Short-Term Rentals and Villas
Apartments booked through Airbnb or Booking.com follow a different, higher schedule than budget hotels:
- Short-term rental apartments, high season: €8 per night
- Short-term rental apartments, low season: €2 per night
- Detached houses or villas over 80 square meters, high season: €15 per night
- Detached houses or villas over 80 square meters, low season: €4 per night
The €8 summer rate catches a lot of Airbnb guests by surprise. A week-long summer rental adds roughly €56 in fees on its own. Furnished rooms and apartments classified as traditional tourist rentals, rather than platform-listed short-term rentals, follow a lower schedule closer to one- and two-star hotel rates.
The Occupancy Tax and VAT
Greece also applies a Transient Occupancy Tax of 0.5% of your accommodation cost, with some municipalities charging 0.75%. It applies to every type of paid accommodation. On a €150 room, that works out to €0.75 to €1.13 per night. Small, but it stacks.
On top of that, a 13% VAT applies to hotel and accommodation charges.1Ministry of Economy and Finance. Value Added Tax (VAT) VAT is usually already built into the advertised room price on major booking platforms, so you rarely see it broken out. If your platform shows a rate “excluding taxes,” expect 13% to be added before payment.
Add it all up: a week at a four-star hotel in high season carries about €75 in government charges beyond the room rate and VAT.
Who Is Exempt
Almost no one. There is no exemption for children, Greek residents, repeat visitors, or long stays, and no cap on the number of nights charged. A 14-night stay means 14 nights of fees. The narrow exemption list covers youth hostels, campsites, stays in protected heritage buildings, and genuinely complimentary stays where no money changes hands.
How and When You Pay
You pay the fee in person at the property, either at check-in or checkout. It cannot be prepaid through a booking platform. Hotels and hosts are legally required to issue a Special Resilience Fee Receipt, which is separate from your room invoice.2Independent Authority for Public Revenue (AADE). Frequently Asked Questions for Climate Crisis Resilience Fee Issuance Statement Ask for it and keep it. If a property folds the fee into the room charge without giving you the separate receipt, question it.
Most Athens hotels accept cards for the fee, but smaller guesthouses and Airbnb hosts sometimes request cash in euros. A few small bills at checkout saves trouble, especially at budget properties where card terminals are not always available.